1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a panel detaching apparatus for a car-mounted audio system, and more particularly, to a panel detaching apparatus for a car-mounted audio system capable of detaching a panel installed in a front face of the car-mounted audio system from the car-mounted audio system body for preventing the car-mounted audio system from being stolen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently developed audio devices are generally compact. Especially, audio devices installed in a car or the like must be compact and thin due to the space limitations. The panel installed in the front side of the audio device comprises a liquid crystal display (hereinafter, referred as LCD) to display information about the operation of the audio device, function knobs to indicate the operation, a recording medium inserting slot, and the like. When a driver leaves his or her car installed with the car audio having the panel, and to insure that the audio equipments cannot be used without the panel if stolen to thereby discourage possible theft by detaching the panel from the escutcheon, several devices have been proposed.
In the appended figures, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional panel detaching apparatus for a car-mounted audio system.
An escutcheon 10 for receiving a front panel 20 is formed at the front of car audio system body.
First engagement holes or recesses 24 are formed at one side part of the front panel 20. A hook assembly 50 for hooking the side part of the front panel 20 is installed in corresponding position of a back face of the escutcheon 10. The front panel is received in the escutcheon 10.
The hook assembly 50 has a longitudinal shaft 52 of which both ends are fixed at one side wall of the escutcheon 10 so that the hook assembly 50 can be rotatable on its longitudinal shaft 52. The hook assembly 50 has a rotating piece 58 and first hooked projectors 54 integrally extended from the longitudinal shaft 52. When the rotating piece 58 is pressed by an ejecting knob 60, the hook assembly 50 is rotated integrally with the rotating piece 58, and then the first hooked projectors 54 are rotated to be released from the first engagement holes 24 of the front panel 20. A restoring spring 56 installed on the top of the hook assembly 50 serves to restore the hook assembly 50 so that the first hooked projectors 54 return to hook the first engagement holes 24.
At the other side part of the escutcheon 10 is formed a hinge member 40. Second top and bottom projectors 41, 42 project downwardly on the top part of the hinge member 40 and upwardly on the bottom part of the hinge member 40. An insertion groove 12 is formed at a central face of the other side part of the escutcheon 10. A second longitudinal hooking groove 26 is installed in the corresponding side part of the front panel 20 such that the second longitudinal hooking groove 26 can be caught by the second projectors 42 projecting on the top and bottom parts of the hinge member 40. An insertion projecting part 22 is installed in the corresponding side part of the front panel such that the insertion projecting part 22 can be inserted into the insertion groove 12.
An elastic member 30 is installed on the desired position of the front face of the escutcheon 10 for elastically pushing the front panel 20.
Hereinafter, an operation of the conventional panel detaching apparatus for a car-mounted audio system will be described.
In order to mount the front panel 20 onto the escutcheon 10, an operator catches the second projectors 42 of the hinge member 40 of the escutcheon 10 with the second longitudinal hooking groove 26, and he inserts the insertion projecting part 22 of the front panel 20 into the insertion groove 12. Thereby, one side of the front panel 20 and one side of the escutcheon 10 are connected with each other.
Thereafter, he pushes the front panel 20 toward the escutcheon 10, and the front panel 20 is turned toward the escutcheon 10 about the rotating axis of the hinge member until the first hooked projector 54 fastens the first engagement holes 24.
When the front panel 20 has been mounted at the escutcheon 10, An elastic member 30 installed on the front face of the escutcheon 10 elastically keeps pushing the front panel 20.
In this state, it becomes possible to operate the car-mounted audio system by pressing plural operation knobs installed at the front panel 20.
In order to detach the front panel 20 from the escutcheon 10, an operator presses the ejecting knob 60 installed in the front face of the escutcheon 10, and the rotating piece 58 of the hook assembly 50 is rotated, and then the first hooked projectors 54 are rotated to be released from the first engagement holes 24 of the front panel 20.
Due to the elastic member 30 which is installed on the front face of the escutcheon 10 and elastically keeps pushing the front panel 20, the front panel 20 is rotated about the hinge member 40. Thus, the first engagement holes 24 of the rotated front panel 20 are released from the first hooked projectors 54 of the escutcheon 10.
In this way, the front panel 20 is detached from the escutcheon 10.
According to the conventional panel detaching apparatus for car-mounted audio system, in order to mount the front panel 20 onto the escutcheon 10, an operator must catch the second projectors 42 of the hinge member 40 of the escutcheon 10 with the second longitudinal hooking groove 26, and he must insert the insertion projecting part 22 of the front panel 20 into the insertion groove 12, and thereby one side of the front panel 20 and one side of the escutcheon 10 are connected with each other. Thereafter, he must have the front panel 20 to be rotated toward the escutcheon 10 about the rotating axis of the hinge member until the first hooked projector 54 fastens the first engagement holes 24.
Accordingly, since the operator of the car-mounted audio system must go through the above mentioned order to mount the front panel 20 onto the escutcheon 10, the method for mounting the front panel onto escutcheon is somewhat difficult.